RAIPUR: Chief minister Bhupesh Baghel on Saturday suggested that a deaddiction drive would be more effective in persuading people not to consume alcohol than a blanket ban.
There’s a need to run a campaign for deaddiction before taking a decision on prohibition, the CM said. The Congress party, in its election manifesto, had promised to impose a liquor ban in the state and is now facing questions from the opposition and sections of society on why it hasn’t yet kept its promise.
The CM reminded people of the incidents during Covid lockdown when people would drink sanitizer or adulterated liquor, leading to several deaths. “We should proceed towards a deaddiction drive instead of a liquor ban,” Baghel said. “Be it any kind of addiction -- right from gutkha, gudakhu to dry herbs and cannabis -- people should be taken on the path of deaddiction,” the CM said.
A delegation of Congress MLAs and workers had recently visited Bihar to understand the procedure, repercussions and strategies of liquor ban in the state and they plan to visit Manipur as well.
The CM also referred to an advertisement of the central government and alleged that the Centre was claiming the state's achievements as its own.
Baghel pointed out advertisements being published by the central government that claim commencement of Jagdalpur airport, saying it was inaugurated by PM Narendra Modi but was then closed and then resumed by the state government.
“It is the state government that started Ma Danteshwari Airport of Jagdalpur and flights were started to Raipur and Hyderabad. Even airlines in Bilaspur were commenced by the state. The ad talks about several other schemes being availed by the people claiming it’s being carried out by the Centre while BJP here has been alleging that no work is being done in the state,” said Baghel. “Our government has done maximum electrification and it’s strange that the Centre is laying claim to the state’s work,” he said, adding that the BJP in Chhattisgarh is “inefficient to win or even fight elections, which is why the ED is playing all the role”.
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